Prepare for a cyberattack on the power grid, Wisconsin officials say

[ArcadiaGP]

Prepare for a cyberattack on the power grid, Wisconsin officials say

Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, who leads the state's emergency management efforts, addressed IT and business leaders at the Fusion 2016 CEO-CIO Symposium on Thursday. It was a sobering end to a gathering that highlighted the importance of strengthening bonds with customers through technology, but the message couldn't be more important, he said.

"Our entire society runs on power," Dunbar said. A prolonged outage due to a cyberattack on the power grid would have profound consequences. "I don't think I can truly measure in my head the impact."

 

[flatlander]

It's never been a question of IF, only of WHEN.

Bob

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Depending on when in the year it happens and how severe/widespread such an event would be, lots and lots of people will die.

 

[JollyMon]

I agree, I think this is one of the most likely mass impact events that would strike in our lifetime. I went through the northeast power failure in 2003, living in Detroit.... we had no power for 7 days, but it wasnt like there were shortages or anything. It opened my eyes (I was only 18 at the time), to how reliant our society is on electricity.

 

[KLB]

It still amazes me that they would have the control systems for the grid connected in any way to any outside network. That should be a totally isolated network.

Connectivity to the whole world is not always a good thing.

 

[UglyAmerican]

It still amazes me that they would have the control systems for the grid connected in any way to any outside network. That should be a totally isolated network.

At one time, they were... until the last thirty years' worth of beancounter MBAs infected the power companies with their "cost savings" "strategies".

 

[actaeon277]

It still amazes me that they would have the control systems for the grid connected in any way to any outside network. That should be a totally isolated network.

Connectivity to the whole world is not always a good thing.

At one time, they were... until the last thirty years' worth of beancounter MBAs infected the power companies with their "cost savings" "strategies".

Yup. Easier and/or cheaper. Push any problems down the road.

 

[UglyAmerican]

Of course, even with the grid hardened as much as possible against physical or Internet-based attacks, one can never guard 100% against social engineering. The human element is always the least secure element in any human-involved system.

 

[foszoe]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...lSUNzvW5k2-Jcj5IA&sig2=cI572tv5t1qM22hwE05ktg

 

[Bigtanker]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...lSUNzvW5k2-Jcj5IA&sig2=cI572tv5t1qM22hwE05ktg

FYI, this is a pdf download.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Depending on when in the year it happens and how severe/widespread such an event would be, lots and lots of people will die.

It's unlikely. Such an event would lead to a military, possibly nuclear, response. Shutting down a nation's power grid is generally considered a precursor to a first strike nuclear action.

 

[KLB]

It's unlikely. Such an event would lead to a military, possibly nuclear, response. Shutting down a nation's power grid is generally considered a precursor to a first strike nuclear action.

And who would we nuke it someone like Anonymous did it?

 

[Kutnupe14]

And who would we nuke it someone like Anonymous did it?

In the highly unlikely event that such an event wasn't state sponsored, whomever seems like the best target. No way the govt would just twiddle its thumbs and tell the public "we have no idea who did it."

 

[KLB]

In the highly unlikely event that such an event wasn't state sponsored, whomever seems like the best target. No way the govt would just twiddle its thumbs and tell the public "we have no idea who did it."

No idea who did it does not equate to some group other than a state sponsored group being responsible.

It wouldn't even have to be directly targeted at taking down the grid.

 

[KLB]

At one time, they were... until the last thirty years' worth of beancounter MBAs infected the power companies with their "cost savings" "strategies".

I don't know that it is really any cheaper to have these systems connected to networks that are connected to the Internet. It is usually more a matter of convenience than cost that pushes that decision.

I fight similar things all the time where I work. The balance between security and convenience has swayed way to the side of convenience, and we are fighting hard to get it back towards security.

 

[Kutnupe14]

No idea who did it does not equate to some group other than a state sponsored group being responsible.

It wouldn't even have to be directly targeted at taking down the grid.

Oh.... well I said military action possibly nuclear. Military action would most certainly occur.

 

[T.Lex]

Oh.... well I said military action possibly nuclear. Military action would most certainly occur.

What if it WAS our military....

 

[UglyAmerican]

I don't know that it is really any cheaper to have these systems connected to networks that are connected to the Internet. It is usually more a matter of convenience than cost that pushes that decision.

To do it right requires people with intelligence that's well above average. Expertise costs money. My workplace emphasizes security (and performance) for our software products, but they pay well to hire people who can achieve it. Oh, and they also hire white hats who almost certainly have, shall we say, checkered pasts, to do pentesting and social engineering against the company itself, to find and fix security issues.

 

[88E30M50]

The Ted Kopple book goes into great detail on whether or not this is possible, he concludes it is, as well as who could do it. From his research, he feels that Russia and China are already in the network and could do it if they want, but that it does not server their interest, so they won't. Individual hackers are much less likely to be able to pull it off yet, but may be there within a couple of years. At that point, all bets are off since there's nothing to really stop one of them from doing it once they know how. The third section of his book deals with how to prepare and it's basically about stocking up.

It's a pretty good book, but it does present a pretty bleak future should it happen.

 

[Leadeye]

Meh, 1K+ gallons of propane and a hard wired generator, I'll ride it out.